Heroes
by Denim88
Summary: We all know of the stories of Link, Midna, Saria, Zelda, Navi, the Sages, Skull Kid, and so forth...but what about the smaller stories that remained untold by the ages? A collection of tales about the Heroes of Hyrule and the people they met over time.
1. Shiver

**Disclaimer: Zelda and all characters are property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo and all that jazz. I have no ownership over any of them, and I know I won't be making money off of this.**

**Shiver **

It was surprising how quickly the temperature dropped once night fell in the desert. A fire was out of the question, considering that wood was no where to be found. Plus, it wouldn't have worked anyway with that cold desert wind blowing through. Opting for the next best thing, the two had decided to make shelter in a small rock formation with an overhang to shield them from the wind.

"Hey, Link."

Said hero was currently dozing off, but the sound of his sole companion's voice woke him, "Hm?"

Midna, the imp-like girl who had been accompanying him throughout his journey seeing as they both had a common goal, floated to face the green-clad teen, "Are deserts always this cold?"

"I wouldn't know, this is my first time out in a desert as well. I've heard of Gerudo Desert from people, but otherwise it's just as much of a first time experience for me as it is for you." Link replied, followed by a yawn.

Midna nodded, and watched as her friend peacefully rested as the winds blew. How did he do it?

A rather strong gust blew by, and while their shelter shielded them from the majority of the whirling gusts, Midna couldn't help but shiver. Unlike Link, she had no real clothing to keep her warm, and it was costing her. Oh sure, she did have a little blanket that she carried around with them, but it was hardly giving her any comfort with it being so thin. She began to shiver a bit, and curled into a ball in a futile attempt to hold in her body heat.

Link heard the chattering and shivering of the imp, and opened an eye. He immediately grew concerned and sat up, "Midna, are you alright?"

"Yeah...j-j-j-just fine." she spoke, her teeth chattering ever so slightly. Link frowned, and crawled over to her.

The teen picked up the bundled up imp girl and held her in his arms as she muttered weak protests. He shivering stopped though within a few minutes, and Link laughed quietly, "Midna, you were freezing just a while back. You could have just told me."

Midna grumbled as she rested on his chest, "I was fine."

Link snorted, "Well, then I guess shaking like a leaf in the autumn is normal for Twili trying to sleep."

"Autumn? What the heck is that?"

"A season. Certain trees lose their leaves in the autumn. It's really beautiful to see, because the leaves all change color. Maybe if you're still here when it comes around, I'll show you what I mean. I think you'd like it."

Midna grunted a reply, "Your world is weird."

"I could say the same from what I've seen of your world too." Link replied with a yawn, and Midna gave a childish yawn as well.

Soon a feeling of comfort from each other's warmth spread over the two, and the two fell fast asleep under the overhang, unconcerned with the harsh desert winds blowing in the night air.

The following morning, Midna opened her eyes to a rising sun. She looked around her to see that she was under the overhang that Link and her had found last night by the rock formations...but where was Link?

That's when she felt a warmth against her back, and the sound of steady breathing. She turned around to see the Hero of Twilight with an arm draped lazily over Midna, who was still covered in a cocoon of blanket. She gave a quiet yawn, and despite being a rather energetic person when she woke up, decided to be lazy for once. She was comfortable where she was...besides, it was still too early to get up.

She turned to face the sleeping farm boy, and let a soft grin play on her lips. Despite him being a light dweller...he was pretty easy on the eyes. She'd never tell him, but she found his boyish charm rather alluring. Recently these strange feelings for Link were a bit magnified for Midna; she blamed it on Zelda having become part of her, but she knew otherwise.

The hero had won her over...

Link mumbled something as Midna shifted a bit, and a rather funny idea came to the Twili's mind, "Link...hurry up and get me that Fused Shadow in the Goron Mines already."

Link mumbled something, and then spoke, "Mmm...dang Keese...on fire..."

Midna chuckled a bit, and decided that she would let him rest, the Goddesses only knew how rare it was of him to take a break. She felt herself move closer to her companion and sigh; she hadn't felt this relaxed in a _long_ time.

She made a mental note to be cold the next time they decided to sleep. Who would have guessed that light dwellers made such wonderful pillows?

**A/N- Yeah, first drabble in this work of mine. I'll have another one up later probably. Just a little MidnaxLink fluff for all of you. I happen to like this pairing, considering the two did become very good friends throughout the adventure. Well, let me know what you think!**


	2. Memories

**Disclaimer: Zelda and all characters are property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Ocarina of Time, however, is owned by me...well, one game cartridge and a player guide. You know, I owe that game for making me a Zelda fan...I never played any of those games until I saw it...I fear what may have happened had I not picked up that Nintendo 64 controller at my friends house that day.**

**Memories**

No matter how many times he ventured through it, Link always was fascinated by the Lost Woods. It was expansive, yet nestled in a small corner of the world. He never fully understood the whole concept of how he was able to venture throughout the sacred forest without being affected by the ancient magic that turned intruders into monsters. As far as he knew, only the Kokiri were among beings that could travel throughout them freely.

He stopped at a small meadow, and breathed in the scent that wafted into the air; fresh pine, decaying leaves, and the faint scent of wild flowers. He loved it. No matter how much of a Hylian he was, he always felt home in the woods. He felt truly alive out here.

A small fluttering of wings shook him from his thoughts, and a small blue ball of light appeared before him, "So, Link, why are we here?"

Link smiled at his fairy companion, Navi, "I just felt like taking a break, that's all."

Navi gave a nod before settling on his shoulders. The once eleven year old boy was now seventeen, and much taller, muscular, and mature in appearance. However, one thing she knew hadn't changed; his child-like innocence. Well, to some degree at least. An eleven year old boy doesn't go around Hyrule to collect three sacred stones, kill giant monsters, and not experience some growth in maturity.

Link had just recently awoken from his supposed seven year slumber. He had already ventured through this meadow before to defeat the evil inside the Forest Temple. He never remembered being told of its existence by the Great Deku Tree when he was younger...in fact, he was pretty sure that no one but Saria and Mido knew of it. Not surprising though, since the place was _the_ most sacred place in all of Kokiri Forest.

He went through the small little maze, having memorized it after going through it so many times during his traveling through it when he was younger. It had never really changed...then again, most of the forest seemed to be in a sort of eternal pause as far as the flow of time went.

As he went up the stairs that lead to the entrance of the Forest temple, he took in everything. The cracked stone walls were moss and vines were slowly breaking through, the small balls of light that were still unknown to him but seemed to dance like living creatures. The broken stair way that had long since lost its bottom half that connected it to the ground. The dead tree that served as his only means of getting to the top of said stairs.

There was one thing though, that he especially took note of; the place where Saria always played her Ocarina. He frowned a bit, and sat down on the tree stump where the emerald-haired Kokiri girl had always been whenever they decided to meet here.

He never spoke it, but he deeply missed her. Ever since the day he was able to form words, he remembered Saria being with him. Only recently did he find out that she had actually taken care of him when he was but a Hylian newborn. This, of course, was due to the fact that Kokiri don't age after they reach the appearance of a ten to twelve year old. He never thanked her for all those years of care...though he supposed she would've told him that there was no need to thank her; Link and her are best friends, after all.

He dug into a pocket, and pulled out a indigo colored Ocarina; the Ocarina of Time. He sighed, remembering that he was still in the middle of an adventure that entailed saving the land from evil. The Ocarina of Time was one of the key instruments needed to do so, therefore he kept it close to him at all times. His first Ocarina, however, had been a gift from Saria. The Fairy Ocarina was simpler in appearance, and had a light tan color with green designs on it. It was also smaller, but Link had loved it all the same. He lost it, however, shortly before going to the Temple of Time. He never forgave himself for losing it so carelessly.

"Link...you okay?" Navi chirped, settling on his knee. She sensed his drop in mood, and knew that if she didn't do something soon, he'd be like this all day.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking." the Hylian replied. He pulled off his hat for a moment, scratched his head, and threw it back on his head. He looked at the blue fairy and spoke, "Navi, you remember Saria, right?"

Navi paused for only a second, "Oh, yeah, I remember Saria! She's the Forest Sage, isn't she?"

Link nodded slowly, "Yeah...she also was my best friend."

Navi was quiet for a moment, knowing how he felt. An idea came to mind suddenly, "Hey! Why don't you talk to her with the Ocarina? You remember her song, don't you?"

Link blinked, then slowly held his Ocarin up to look at it, "Yeah, I remember it...but I haven't talked to her in seven years accept for that one time in the Forest Temple..."

Navi sighed, "Link...you were locked away in the Sacred Realm for seven years, it's not your fault. She knows why you were gone, anyway. It's not like she'll be mad at you."

"...I guess your right." Link put the Ocarina up to his lips, and slowly played the song that he learned from Saria. After finishing the melody, he paused, and closed his eyes. He felt the familiar tingling feeling of another presence all of the sudden.

_"...Link?"_

Link went wide-eyed, "...Saria?"

There was a brief pause between the two,_ "...You remembered my song..."_

"Yeah...it's a nice song, and it lets me talk to you. How could I not remember it?" the Hylian replied.

There was a giggle, followed by a what almost sounded like...a sniffle?

_"I...I missed you, Link. Seven years was a long time..."_ Saria stopped for a moment, and Link thought he heard what sounded like crying almost, just a sob, _"...are you alright? You're not hurt at all, are you?"_

Link laughed, "No, I'm fine Saria. I just wanted to talk to you...since you aren't in Kokiri Forest anymore."

The pause that hung in the air between them was almost torture for the two. Eventually, Saria spoke,_ "Is everyone okay back in the village?"_

"Yeah. I told them you had to go away for awhile..."

_"...Thank you."_

Link nodded, not sure if Saria knew he did it or not. He could sense the sadness in her voice, "Mido's still a jerk. I guess that he misses me though...well, the little me at least."

Another giggle, _"He'll never change. That's okay though...he's good at leading the others. So...how are you doing?"_

Link smiled, "Fine, I guess. I saved the Gorons a few days ago. Darunia turned out to be the Fire Sage. He seemed really happy to see me after the long period of time. I'm surprised he recognized me so easily."

_"Yeah, he's here too. He's glad he can help you with your quest." _Saria was quiet for once again, and spoke, _"Hey, Link?"_

"Yes?"

_"Um...I know you're busy and all...but...if you ever feel lonely, or you want to talk to someone...I'm here for you."_

Link felt the corners of his eyes burn a bit, but he kept back the stray tears, "Thanks, Saria."

_"Thank you, Link. Talk to me again soon?"_

"I promise."

Saria seemed happy with that response, _"Okay. Bye, Link. Take care of yourself, and make sure to rest every now and then. If you ever want to talk to me, you know how to reach me."_

With that, Link felt the presence of Saria slowly weaken, but never fully disappear. He said nothing for a moment, and put his head down. He smiled, and got up, rubbing away the moisture by his eyes, "Okay, Navi! Let's go see what the problem is at Zora's Fountain."

Navi let out a cheer as she fluttered close behind the green clad teen. She was happy that his mood had lifted, and to see him ready to go onward again.

As the two left the small grove, a few stray rays of light peeked out of the trees. If one looked, they may have seen, if only for a few seconds, the faint outline of a girl no older than twelve sitting on the lone tree stump, smiling as she watched the Hylian head off to save Hyrule.

**A/N- yeah, the tale of Link and Saria is a rather bittersweet one. I can really say that there's romance there...maybe more of a deep friendship or something. Maybe a one-sided love, who knows? Anyway, Link growing up and becoming the Hero of Time and Saria being made the Forest Sage kind of forced the two to go down separate paths, but never really leaving each other. The parting between the two when Link and Saria had the chance to meet after not seeing each other for seven years was a bit sad too; Saria realizing that Link has grown up, and that he's not going a Kokiri after all...aw hell, it's just a straight up tragedy with the two overall, isn't it, heheh. Well, let me know what you think!**


	3. Time

**Disclaimer: Zelda and all characters are property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. Although...if I did have the Triforce with me, I'd change that little fact, heh.**

**Time**

Link wasn't sure what to expect when he had arrived at what the King of Red Lions had claimed was Hyrule Castle. The place was out in the middle of nowhere, and stormy weather surrounded it at all times. What was even worse was that after he had gone through that wild goose chase to get the three pearls of the Goddesses, he then had to fight some floating relic called Gohdan in order to prove his worth as the Hero of Winds, or whatever title he was being given.

After descending down into the ancient castle, which was underwater, Link found himself in a central hall with hordes of various enemies. The strange thing was that they seemed to be frozen in place, and solid as rock, like statues.

Link had managed to find the secret passageway to the basement where he believed the 'Blade of Evil's Bane' was supposedly being held. Link reached the end of the stairs, and was surprised with what he saw.

The small chamber gave Link a rather peaceful feeling. It felt almost nostalgic, really. Continuing towards the center of the chamber, he saw what he had been searching for; the Master Sword.

Link walked to the legendary blade that supposedly defeated the Great King of Evil ages ago, and held it firm in his hands. It...didn't feel much different from a normal sword. Maybe a bit larger, sure, but he wasn't sure what made this blade so special. However, the King of Red Lions has said that the sword was the only way to defeat Ganondorf once more.

Link gripped the handle of the sword, and gave it a might heave, surprised by how little resistance it actually gave as he pulled it out from the pedestal. He held it in the air, watching the light shine on it from the stained windows in the chamber.

Link tested the sword out, swinging it a few times and smiling. He could feel it now; this blade was much greater than he had first perceived. He spun it around once more before putting it in his sheath. He turned around to head back up to the surface and speak with the King of Red Lions when he stopped upon seeing a figure standing before him.

"Yah!!!" the young Hero cried out, stumbling back and reaching for his blade. He held his weapon and shield at ready, watching the unknown figure as they stood before him.

"Whoa, easy there kid, I'm not the enemy here." spoke the voice, which was definitely male. The light made him a silhouette to Link, so his face remained hidden. The figure walked down the steps, and spoke calmly, "So...the Master Sword has been removed, huh?"

For some reason or another, Link felt that he could trust this person, whoever they were, "Yes. I have to stop some evil king or whatever before he tries to take over the Great Sea."

The person gave a sigh before stepping out of the light that obscured his appearance, and Link gasped a bit as he saw the man standing before him, "I figured that bastard was going to come back someday..."

Link took a step back, his knees feeling weak. This...person, he suddenly noticed something. This man was almost transparent...almost. Link held his blade out again, looking at the newcomer with wary eyes.

The taller man looked at Link before looking at himself and noticing the boy's trouble, "Oh, heh, sorry about that. Kind of a side-effect of being a spirit. Like I said, I'm not going to harm you."

Link decided he could risk trusting this man, or spirit, or whatever he was, and again put his sword away, "A spirit? Of what?"

The man face split into a grin, "The Spirit of Courage, to be exact." The man's features became more visible as he approached Link. He wore a tunic that spoke of a time long ago. His boots looked worn, and his hair was long and untamed. The funny thing was, Link felt like he was looking at an older version of himself, "You're the next Hero of Time, I'm assuming."

Then it clicked. Link's eyes went wide, and he spoke in a quiet voice, "Y-you're..."

The spirit gave a nod, "Yeah, the first Hero of Time."

Link felt his heartbeat quicken. He was standing before a legend! A man who could take down the Evil King! Wait...wasn't the Hero of Time a boy though?

"I thought the Hero of Time was a boy...not a man."

The older, deceased Link gave a chuckle, "The stories really are losing their truth, aren't they? The reality is that I actually was asleep in the Sacred Realm for almost seven years before I awoke to defeat Ganondorf. I had to go through hell and high water to gather enough power from the seven sages," Link made a gesture to the windows with images of said sages, "and then I had to fight the so called 'Great King of Evil' in his tower. Not only that, but after I thought I beat him, he went and used the Triforce of Power to become a beast of sorts."

The younger hero blinked in awe, "I...I was told that after you defeated him that you left Hyrule, and when Ganondorf broke free and attacked Hyrule, you never returned. Why?"

The dead Hero sighed, "I left Hyrule. Went to look for a friend I lost. I kind of got lost after I saved some parallel world called Termina. I...I returned to Hyrule once, but left after realizing that things weren't the same."

"Weren't the same?" Link repeated, "What do you mean?"

The dead Hero of Time gave a laugh, "After I defeated Ganondorf, Princess Zelda, the Princess of Destiny, sent me back to my original time seven years ago. She blamed herself for taking away those seven years of my life that she believed were a crucial part I should not have missed..." Link gave the original Hero of Time a confused look, and the older Link decided to clarify, "Zelda and I were in love, I guess you could say. The moment after I came back to my own time, a friend I had been with all that time left. She was a fairy named Navi, and she told me her destiny was fulfilled...something like that. I think she was sad about something...I'm not sure, but she left. I wanted her to stay, but Hylians aren't meant to be with fairies. I was an exception."

"What happened then?"

The spirit of Link nodded, "Heh, right, sorry about that. I guess I haven't spoken to anyone in a long time. Well, after Navi left, I tried to find some way to continue my life after living seven years that never happened. I went to Zelda, and...she recognized me right off the bat. It's funny, really. She always was smarter than she should be for her age, but after the alternate timeline was saved...well, she looked like she had lived a lifetime, much like I did. We talked, and I offered to become one of her knights, servants, anything so I could be with her."

"It didn't work out, did it?"

The dead Hero gave a bittersweet smile, "Nope...well, actually, it never happened. Zelda wanted to be with me, believe me. Unfortunately, she had been told by the sages that if we were ever united together, we'd seal Hyrule with a doomed fate. I left after that, telling Zelda maybe I'd see her again. She knew that would never happen though. She gave me her Ocarina of Time, telling me to remember her with it."

Link gave a frown as he watched the spirit sit on a downed pillar, "So...was that the reason you never came back to Hyrule?"

"Partly, yes. The other reason was because I died. I was around the age you see me at, and I died because some damn band of Moblins managed to catch me off guard and killed me. I took down almost all of them though, I can say that much." He looked to the younger incarnation of the Hero of Time, and grinned, "Pretty embarrassing way for a legend to die, huh?"

The younger Link shook his head, "I don't think any less of you."

The former Hero gave Link an amused grin, "Really?"

"No, I think you were a great hero. My grandma used to tell me and my sister stories she heard about you long time ago."

The spirit laughed, "Well, in all honesty, it's only been one-hundred years since all that happened."

Link gave a nod to the spirit, "So...why are you here?"

The deceased Link nodded, "Right. Truth is, I'm a messenger of Farore as well. She wanted me to tell you something."

Link was yet again wide-eyed and shocked, "F-Farore? You mean _the_ Farore?!"

"Yep, and don't feel so scared about it. She took a special interest in you, after all. She tends to favor those she chooses as her avatar in this world. Just like she did me, hence me being her messenger."

Link was at full attention, "What does she want of me?"

The older Link stooped down to the younger hero's level, and placed either of his ghostly hands on the boy's shoulders, "Have faith in your self. Don't fear what comes before you, and trust in your abilities."

"Is that all?" Link felt bad about being disappointed; he knew that anything from one of the three goddesses was always something to take with the highest degree of respect, yet he had been expecting maybe some words that would lead him to help defeat Ganondorf, or maybe how to restore Hyrule.

The spirit laughed, "Heheheh, pretty much. She's a rather free-spirited one, and loves all life. She knows you're smart enough to do what is right, but wanted me to tell you that anyway."

Link gave the former Hero a nod, "Alright. I'll do as she asks."

The Spirit of Courage nodded as he stood up, "Well, you better get going. Remember now, you're the representation of Farore. Courage is your weapon."

Link gave a grin to the former hero, and started towards the steps. Right before he began up the steps, he turned towards the place where the deceased Hero of Time was, only to find the place empty. Link blinked several times, and gave a small grin before heading upwards.

As he reached the castle's main hall, he was met with the enemies that had been frozen before, now moving around and fully alert. He pulled out his new blade and shield when the armored foes approached him. Link was heavily outnumbered, but he felt something stir within him.

_"Don't worry kid, you're the Hero now. You know what to do."_

Link gave a nod to the deceased Hero's voice, and with a battle cry, charged towards his foes, a new sense of determination rising up within him.

**A/N- Well, it's been awhile since I put any new chapters on this little miniseries, but I figured it was about time. This idea's been swimming in my head for close to a year and a half now, but I just never got around to doing it, heh. I always thought it would have been neat if one of the Link's from one of the games met the original Hero of Time. It'd be interesting to see how they would have reacted their similarities, that's for sure, heh. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


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